While rotary capping equipment has been around for some time, there are some inherent deficiencies in the currently existing capping equipment. Initially, it is important to insure that the cap is properly maintained in position on the cap transfer mechanism after it receives the cap from the cap hopper, so that the cap can be suitably withdrawn from the cap transfer mechanism in proper position to be carried to a location to be secured to a container. Another area of concern is that having to do with insuring that the cap is correctly and accurately removed by the capping head from the cap transfer mechanism and placed on the container without jamming or damaging the cap during the application process.
When the cap is received from a hopper feeding mechanism, it is disposed on a cap transfer mechanism such as a star wheel whereon it is then rotated into position to be picked up by a capping head on a capping turret, placed on and then tightly sealed on a filled container. It can be appreciated that in order to insure that there is a proper transfer from the star wheel to the capping head, the cap must be maintained properly positioned on the cap transfer mechanism so that when it is to be removed therefrom by the capping head it will be positioned relative to the capping turret in an orientation so that it will be accurately placed onto the filled container.